Mason Scioneaux
The Oxford Police Department is using the $7,500 they raised from their 14th annual haunted house to purchase trauma kits for each classroom in the Oxford School District.
The purpose of the trauma kits is to stop bleeding, which is the leading cause of death in shootings. They include a tourniquet, a packing kit for gunshot wounds, gloves, gauze and other medical supplies.
Interim Police Chief Jeff McCutchen told the Board of Aldermen OPD’s plans to create the trauma kits at their meeting on Nov. 5. OPD donates the money from the haunted house each year.
Ivy, who teaches active shooter drills to civilians, said that providing Oxford schools with trauma kits will add a level of preparation that can give parents and teachers the peace of mind that they are equipped to deal with such situations.
“Well, it’s kind of like putting on your seatbelt before you drive,” he said. “You hope you’re wasting your time. You hope you don’t need it, but you might. This is the same thing. It’s being prepared. I think the parents appreciate that we’re trying to prepare the schools, teachers and their kids for any situations that they may come upon, and hope that they never use any of it. That’s our ultimate hope.”
Ivy said that providing the trauma kits is a response to recent pushes from the state legislature to heighten school training for active shooter situations. Active shooter drills are now required once per semester.
“We talk about the need for need for preparation and for medical (supplies) if you’re ever caught in that situation,” Ivy said. “So we approached Superintendent Brian Harvey, and he said that they had already installed four trauma kits per hallway, but if it becomes an emergency on lockdown, you really need a kit in each room.”
Heather Lenard, the communications coordinator of the Oxford School District, commended OPD for the work they do to protect the children of Oxford.
“We are fortunate to have an incredible partnership with the Oxford Police Department,” Lenard said. “Thanks to OPD, we have safe campuses, but now they have provided the necessary tools to react quickly and provide care while waiting for help to arrive. Having these trauma kits in every classroom provides yet another layer of confidence for our teachers and students in the event of an emergency.”
